


Eyes in the big City

by Babbling



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Chan's moods change so quickly nowdays, First Meetings, I don't know what else to add, Juchan, Junchan, Love at First Sight, M/M, Missed Opportunities, One Shot, Short Story, Written in Class, and it's inspired by a poem, fate?, i was bored, it's not that long, just see for yourself, romantic Jun, so much running, so much searching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 19:33:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14339502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babbling/pseuds/Babbling
Summary: Jun loves to become part of other people's lives and even if it is only for a second.Moreover, he is the living proof that love at first sight exits, making him fall for people way to quickly and breaking his heart regularly. Still he hasn't given up on meeting the one person, his true love, and he is quite sure he has finally found it in the handsome, brown-haired stranger he has seen on the street, leaving only one problem; he neither has ever talked to him nor does he know his name."An eye winks,the soul rings;you found it,only seconds long…(...)No one turns back the time…gone, passed, no more."





	Eyes in the big City

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys :D  
> I'm back but only with a short story this time.  
> So, the thing is I'm often bored in classes so I write my stories mostly there...and this story too was mainly written in my class so I'm not quite sure about it...It's a roller coaster and I don't even now if it makes complete sense but never mind (I'm probably gonna edit it when I'm bored anyways).  
> Btw I got the inspiration for it in my German class because we read "Augen in der Großstadt" (Eyes in the big city) by Kurt Tucholsky, a German writer.  
> The poem is actually really beautiful in German but kind of sucks in English so I'm sorry for that, I'm still gonna add it at the end, so you know what the hell I'm even talking about.  
> However if you can understand German, read it in German lol
> 
> That's it...I finished this instead of doing school stuff or writing on my other ffs and I'm happy about it :D  
> Have fun <3

Every day in Jun’s life seemed to be the same. They started with him being woken by his alarm at exactly 6 am, before getting dressed, making some coffee and buying breakfast in the little café near his apartment. Afterwards he went to work, stayed there until late evening and walked back, tired, quickly eating dinner in one of the many restaurants on his way or ramen in one of the shops. There was no need for cooking, if it was only him at home anyways. He was aware that he could just take a taxi or use the bus to get to work, but he loved the 25 minutes he had to walk every day more than anything else, because it was the time in which he became part of a hundred of lives and he liked the thought. Jun wasn’t lonely. He had a loving family, even though living quite far away, and enough friends that cared about him. He really wasn’t lonely and still he was searching for something…or someone.

Every day, when he passed the people on his way, he looked into their faces, in the hope to spot this shimmer he was searching for and sometimes he indeed found it. Whenever that happened, Jun’s heart started racing, the time seemed to stop and he tried to somehow engrave the features of the other person, as if he could force the universe to let them meet again, if he just remembered all the details. But in the end, he never saw them twice.

Jun had probably fallen in love more than a hundred times, because boy, did he fall quickly, but he never gathered enough courage to simply talk to them. To ask them on a date, for their name or telephone number. Instead, he let the moment pass, letting the possible love of his life become one with the big crowd again and disappear. Every time, he tried to forget and not think about all the missed possibilities and every time, he failed miserably and ended up regretting, being not brave enough.

This morning, too, Jun was walking through the streets as part of the gray crowd, like many others not really looking forward to his workday. The weather fitted his mood well, being cloudy, and only the thought of his plan, to meet his friends on the weekend, had convinced him to get out of bed earlier. Even the coffee didn’t seem to help keeping his eyes open. Jun already regretted to not just having called his office and reporting himself sick, so he could have stayed at home and because of that, he was loudly cursing in his head, when he saw him.

It was as if he was glowing, being the only splash of color between all the blurred faces and gray suits that stood out. His features looked soft and even cute but that didn’t make him any less handsome. Jun couldn’t do anything else than stare at him, while holding his breath. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as if he was in one of the cheesy dramas, he secretly enjoyed watching when he was stressed, and he knew that like so often before, he had just fallen in love.

Most people didn’t believe in love at first sight and Jun could completely comprehend why. Still at the same time, he was the best example that it indeed existed. At least for a few people.  
With time he had learnt to live with falling in love this quickly and getting his heart broken most of the time, because he didn’t see his crushes long enough to confess nor did he know their names. Still, never had his reaction been this strong. He knew, if he missed this opportunity again, like the ones before, it wouldn’t let him go for months. All he had to do was to say something to the young man, so that he had at least tried, but he didn’t. Instead Jun watched him walk past him, seemingly without having noticed the other staring at him the whole time at all. Then suddenly, when he was nearly completely past him, he looked up and their eyes met. It was only for a second, but for Jun it felt like an eternity and he couldn’t help himself but think that he had never seen more beautiful eyes in his entire life. They were simply brown, but there was curiosity in them about all the things the universe had to offer and they also emitted so much warmth, driving the cold out of Jun’s body. 

However, as suddenly as the moment had happened it was over again and the guy passed him. Jun, too, continued his way like always, even though one part in his head screamed at him, for being so insecure and timid and that he would definitely regret this. But it was too late anyways, right?

Still the feeling that he had made the complete wrong decision didn’t go away and after some seconds he couldn’t stand it any longer and spun around, immediately searching the crowd behind him for the stranger. But no matter how desperate his eyes wandered over every person, he still couldn’t spot the brown hair anywhere. Jun even walked in the direction in which the guy must have disappeared in, but also without any success.

Once more he hadn’t taken the opportunity, the universe had given him, and had failed instead. The eventual love of his life was gone.

* * *

 

After the incident Jun’s life went on like always and he still walked his way to work every day. But instead of looking into every face and imagining what the story of the person was like, he was now in search for a specific face. But just like all the times before, he didn’t meet the stranger again and his hope slowly faded, until one day, Jun suddenly spotted a familiar mop of brown hair some meters in front of him. It could have been the hair of everybody, many people wore this color nowadays, but for an unknown reason Jun just felt that it was the guy he had searched for all these past couple weeks. This time he didn’t even think about it twice, before he quickened his pace and tried to push through the crowd. However, when he finally reached the point, where he had last seen the guy, the latter had already disappeared again without leaving any kind of trace behind. Like some weeks ago, he started searching for him and like some weeks ago his effort was in vain. Tears begun gathering in his eyes. Never before had Jun felt this frustrated and powerless. 

After 15 minutes he eventually gave up his hope and continued his way, knowing he would be late for work otherwise, if he kept searching any longer. The stranger had probably taken the bus or entered one of the many buildings, anyways. However, if Jun thought his day had started bad, he was still not prepared for the next downfall which followed nearly immediately. He wanted to pass the control area at his company, when he noticed that he must have lost his wallet somewhere on the way, together with his company ID.

“No….noooo…That can’t be happening right now!” He whined, close to a mental breakdown and nearly in tears.

“Shit, shit, shit! What am I gonna do now?”

He tried searching through his bag once more, hoping his wallet would somehow appear again. It didn’t of course and he started looking for his phone instead, so he could call his boss and explain his situation to him. Jun was just about to press the call button, when suddenly a voice behind him spoke up,

“Excuse me?”

He paused and frowned, before turning around, to see if the person was talking to him. He didn’t know what or who he had expected, but when he came face to face with the stranger he had searched for, for weeks, he could feel his heart stop beating and the air disappearing out of his lungs. This close, the man looked even more handsome than Jun remembered.

“Huh?” Was everything he got out, while staring at the other with wide, surprised eyes.

The latter seemed a bit bewildered by his intense stare but still smiled friendly at him.

“I’m sorry, if I startled you, but earlier I saw how you lost your wallet. I tried to draw your attention to it but you seemed to be in a hurry and didn’t hear me. So, I picked it up and followed you until here.”

He reached out his hand and Jun could see that he was indeed holding his lost wallet. Still, he could only stare at it, not being able to move. With every second that passed, without Jun taking it, he could see how the guy seemed to feel more and more uncomfortable. He cleared his throat.

“Uhhh…It is yours, right?” He asked uncertain.

“If not, I’m sorry. Maybe I mistook you for somebody else or—”

“No! It’s mine, sorry.” Jun suddenly got out and quickly grabbed his wallet.

“I was just surprised. Most people probably would not have brought it back…Thank you so much.”

The smile reappeared on the younger’s face.

“No problem…Everybody would have…done it…ahh you just said you think they wouldn’t…sorry” He laughed a little awkward and his face got a pink shade.

God, Jun had been right, when he had thought that the guy wasn’t only handsome but also cute. He chuckled and shook his head.

“Don’t worry. It’s better if you think that way.”

A little awkward silence arose in which they smiled at each other, both completely clueless with what to say or do now. After some time, the younger spoke up,

“Well then…I have to go; my class will start soon and I shouldn’t be late…”

Jun raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Class? So, you are still going to School?”

“Nah, I’m not that young. I’m in my senior year at college.” He explained and grinned proudly.

“Do I really look that young?”

“No, I just thought…I don’t know.” Now it was Jun who laughed embarrassed.

“Well, if you weren’t wearing a suit right now and I wouldn’t have seen your company ID, I would have thought you were a college student too.”

“I mean, I’m probably not that much older than you…”

At this the other raised his eyebrows and a smirk appeared on his face.

“Is that important? If I wouldn’t know it better I would think you are thinking about asking me out right now.”

However, when Jun’s reaction consisted of nearly choking, the smirk quickly faded and got replaced by a worried expression.

“I’m sorry, I only meant it as a joke…I know it wasn’t my best one. Sometimes I don’t know where to stop. God, you need to breath. Breath!”

He did as him told and slowly some air got back into his lungs, before he also stopped coughing.

“I’m sorry.” Apologized the other once more.

“It’s…fine.” Jun somehow got out, his voice still a little hoarse.

“You didn’t look fine though.”

“Just…surprised…”

“Why? Are you married?”

“What? No! Why do you--”

“Straight?”

“No but…” Only now Jun noticed that he had answered without even thinking about it first and at the pleased expression of the younger he figured that exactly that had been the plan in the first place.

He took a deep breath, before questioningly raising his eyebrows at the boy, a little annoyed by his trick and asking himself what the hell the brat wanted. He was about to demand an explanation for this kind of behavior (Because he maybe was handsome and cute and Jun might had a crush on him, but still, he was older and they were strangers), but he got what he wanted before he could even ask for it,

“You are maybe not thinking about dating me…but if you ever change your mind…I mean I wouldn’t mind dating you…”

“Wait, what??”

Even though he had seemed to be so confident before, the other now turned red.

“I just asked you out on a date…” He muttered quietly.

Jun tried hard to find the smirking young man from some second ago but failed. Instead he could only see a vulnerable boy who looked at him with big deer eyes which were begging him to say yes. And what was there to even think about?

“If you really want to go out with someone as old as me…”

“You just told me you are not much older than me!”

Now Jun was the one smirking.

“How do you know, I didn’t lie?”

The other studied his face with drawn together eyebrows, before he shook his head.

“There is no way that you are over thirty.”

In this moment Jun’s phone started ringing. He glanced at the screen and nearly dropped it.

“Shit, my boss!”

He gave the boy an apologizing look.

“I’m sorry, but I really have to go. I’m already late.”

“Sure…”

Jun begun sprinting into the direction of the elevators and had nearly reached them, when he realized that he still neither knew the name nor the number of the stranger.

“Dammit!”

Before he even really knew, what he was doing, he had turned around again and run into the other direction, very well knowing he would get into trouble for this. Still, he didn’t really care. This was maybe his last chance and he wouldn’t just let it slip through like all the other ones. He was already lucky enough, he had been able to meet the other more than one time.

Jun wasn’t quite sure when he had last run this fast or run at all, but his lungs slowly started feeling like they were ill-treated by a knife and he cursed himself for not working out more. As soon, as he finally made it back to the entrance, he looked around, searching for the brown hair like he had so often by now. After some minutes, he indeed spotted it, but too far away, on the other side of the hall. Again, he started running, realizing that the other was about to leave.

 _‘No! Not again!’_ Jun thought, while closing the distance between them way too slowly.

The outside was busy and he knew that he would probably lose him again, if he let him walk through this door. He tried quickening his pace but he already felt as if someone was ripping open the inside of his body. There was no other way, he had to scream. It would be a complete, embarrassing disaster but that was not important right now.

“Hey! Stop!” He shouted.

No reaction, the other continued walking into the direction of the doors without even looking back.

“Yah! College boy!”

Nothing. He would need something different and he had to be louder. So, he gathered all strength left in him and called once more,

“Brown hair! Highschool students are not allowed in here!”

That seemed to work. The boy stopped and turned around, an annoyed expression on his face, to probably tell the person that he was not a Highschool student anymore, when his eyes fell on the still towards him running Jun, and they widened in surprise.

After the older had finally reached him, struggling for air and feeling as if he would pass out at any moment, he eyed him confused.

“I really thought this was a trick of yours and your way of telling me you aren’t interested…” The boy stated, looking a little sulky.

“I mean there is no way to really be this forgetful…” He added.

But Jun had no time for replying to his comments.

“What…what is your name?” He asked, still panting heavily, instead.

The other frowned.

“Chan…Kang Yuchan.”

“Good…I’m…Jun.”

He reached out his hand and Chan shook it uncertainly.

“I hope it’s okay if I tell you that I think you won’t get rid of me again any time soon. So if you have changed your mind about dating me, you should tell me that now.”

At this a bright smile appeared on the younger’s face.

“No, I think I’m okay with that.”

 

\-----------

 

The poem "Augen in der Großstadt" (Eyes in the big city) by Kurt Tucholsky:

 

German: 

_Wenn du zur Arbeit gehst_  
_am frühen Morgen,_  
_wenn du am Bahnhof stehst_  
_mit deinen Sorgen:_  
_da zeigt die Stadt_  
_dir asphaltglatt_  
_im Menschentrichter_  
_Millionen Gesichter:_  
_Zwei fremde Augen, ein kurzer Blick,_  
_die Braue, Pupillen, die Lider –_  
_Was war das? vielleicht dein Lebensglück…_  
_vorbei, verweht, nie wieder._

_Du gehst dein Leben lang_  
_auf tausend Straßen;_  
_du siehst auf deinem Gang, die_  
_dich vergaßen._  
_Ein Auge winkt,_  
_die Seele klingt;_  
_du hast’s gefunden,_  
_nur für Sekunden…_  
_Zwei fremde Augen, ein kurzer Blick,_  
_die Braue, Pupillen, die Lider –_  
_Was war das? Kein Mensch dreht die Zeit zurück…_  
_Vorbei, verweht, nie wieder._

_Du mußt auf deinem Gang_  
_durch Städte wandern;_  
_siehst einen Pulsschlag lang_  
_den fremden Andern._  
_Es kann ein Feind sein,_  
_es kann ein Freund sein,_  
_es kann im Kampfe dein_  
_Genosse sein._  
_Er sieht hinüber_  
_und zieht vorüber …_  
_Zwei fremde Augen, ein kurzer Blick,_  
_die Braue, Pupillen, die Lider –_  
_Was war das?_  
_Von der großen Menschheit ein Stück!_  
_Vorbei, verweht, nie wieder._

 

English translation:

_When you go to work_  
_early in the morning_  
_when you stand in the station_  
_with all your troubles:_  
_the city shows you_  
_asphalt-smooth_  
_in a funnel of people_  
_a million faces:_  
_Two strange eyes, a quick glance,_  
_the brows, the pupils, the lids –_  
_What was that? Your happiness, perhaps…_  
_gone, passed, no more._

_All your life you walk_  
_on a thousand streets;_  
_you see on your way,_  
_those who forgot you._  
_An eye winks,_  
_the soul rings;_  
_you found it,_  
_only seconds long…_  
_Two strange eyes, a quick glance,_  
_the brows, the pupils, the lids –_  
_What was that? No one turns back the time…_  
_gone, passed, no more._

_You’re obliged on your way_  
_to wander through cities;_  
_you see for a pulsebeat_  
_the unknown other._  
_It could be a fiend,_  
_it could be a friend,_  
_or could in the struggle_  
_offer a hand._  
_A looking over_  
_then passing by…_  
_Two strange eyes, a quick glance,_  
_the brows, the pupils, the lids –_  
_What was that? A piece of grand humanity!_  
_Gone, passed, no more._

**Author's Note:**

> Did I mention Chan’s quickly changing moods?? Like he goes from soft to rude to soft again in seconds…daaaamn. The boy is killing me at the moment.  
> I hope you liked this short piece of...whatever this was :)  
> You see, I even value to educate you guys^^
> 
> Have a nice day!


End file.
